A New Era- Part Three
by Saint
Summary: Part three to the adventure... Jean, Piotr and Warren face off against the new mutant. Secrets revealed! Please, R&R! I appreciate it.


Ok ya'll. I'm really tearing it up here in getting these finished. The ideas are just flowing. Let me know if you guys have any ideas for how this could go. PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks everyone.  
  
  
(Scott)  
  
It had been two days since I dispatched Bobby and Storm to go clean up the group of rag-tag kids trying to rob a bank. I still didn't know what to do with them. They were in lock-up and Jean had been trying to communicate with them but they just kept telling her to go away. She said they were street kids who, being both mutated and poor had fallen in with each other as a gang, the telepath being the leader.   
  
I was sitting in my office, still not the Professor's office, I couldn't use that one, but I was sitting there deep in thought about it all when Bobby came in.   
  
"Scott?" he said as a question. "Hi, sorry, the door was open. Listen, I need to talk to you about this whole thing."  
  
He looked almost sick to his stomach. "Go ahead," I said trying to be the same friend he had had for all these years. I was still learning how to sit in Xavier's chair and be the team leader.   
  
"Ok Scott, I know you asked me not to tell anyone, and I haven't," he said frustrated, "but I need someone to talk to about this. I mean; Storm was dead! I saw her body there full of holes and lifeless."  
  
I spoke before he could continue. Jean had taught me quite a bit about being a good listener but I also needed to be the leader here. "Bobby," I said gently, "I know that it's rough on you to stay quiet but I just need to sort things out before I make the event public.   
  
Jean was my only confidant in the matter. Bobby and Ororo had been given the word not to tell anyone about what had happened. It was easier with Storm. She only knew that it happened because of Bobby. She didn't remember a thing. Poor Bobby though, every detail was real to him. Watching Storm hit the ground covered in blood, shooting the telepath and watching him die there on the floor, the ripples in existence that brought everything back around. It was all vivid in his mind. He had let Jean extract it from his mind so that we could understand what it felt like, what really happened. I have to say that it was scary.  
  
"Look Bob, it's nothing to be scared about right now, ok? Jean and I are working on it. The other young guy hasn't turned up in any databases or on the news. We're safe here in the mansion."  
  
"Scott, it's not that man. It's just seeing Ororo dead there and then to have her come back so quick. I'm just shaken up. Makes me think about the Prof, you know?"  
  
I knew exactly what he meant by that. I had thought about being able to bring the Professor back. It would be nice to have him to talk to about all this. He would know what to make of it all. I have no clue ho to start except have Jean start to search in cerebro, and I was even scared to let her do that.  
  
"I understand Bobby. I've been thinking about the Professor a lot too. That event definitely didn't help either."  
  
"Yeah, it's like, I'm just confused and frustrated. Have you ever seen someone riddled with bullets before? I was just in shock. I'm still not out of it. She was dead, Scott."  
  
"This definitely isn't my department," I thought to myself, "but it was the Professors so I guess it's mine now."   
  
"Ok Bob," I tried again to settle him, "I know it's rough buddy. I've seen my share of friends die and I didn't get them back." I smiled at him. It was probably the most sincere smile I had smiled since the Professor had died. "You got lucky kid. Not only that but you did the right thing. You couldn't have known the first time about the gun, but you saved Storm. That's what's important."   
  
He had been looking at his feet the whole time I was talking, like a little boy who was sitting in the principal's office for the first time. He looked up at me.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Scott." He said with a little apprehension. "I'm meeting Hank for dinner. Don't want to keep the old blue ball of fur waiting."  
  
As he got up I felt like I hadn't helped him at all. He still looked shaken up. I watched him start to walk out the door and wished I was telepathic like Jean. Just when he got to the door he stopped and turned around.  
  
"Scott, you're no Professor," he said with a gentle smile, "but you're doing a good job. I trust you more than any other man. Thanks for giving me someone to talk to about this."   
  
Forgetting to be shocked that Bobby was able to give a complete compliment without turning it into a joke I replied, "Thanks Bobby. That means a lot."   
  
He smiled at me again, a little bigger this time, and walked out the door. Again, I was left alone with my thoughts.   
  
(Bobby)  
  
As I walked down the hall away from Scott's office I just couldn't think straight. I was on my way to the garage to head to the diner to meet Hank but I kept making wrong turns and having to back track. Finally I made it to my motorcycle in the garage. I jumped on and headed out to dinner.  
  
My bike always made me feel better when I was frustrated. It wasn't one of those big ole' Harley-lookin' bikes like Logan's. This was a Ninja. It was sleek and stylish and I loved every second of riding it. Every time I got on it made everything else slip away as I pushed it faster and faster on the old New York roads. Everything was wonderful when I was on this bike.  
  
I ripped around a bend in the road at about seventy and I saw red and blue lights in the distance. I slowed down to forty-five and kept along the road until I got to where the flashing lights had been. There were cops everywhere. They had the road blocked off. I pulled up to the block and stopped my bike.  
  
"What's the problem officer?" I asked of the cop that came up to me as I stopped. "This looks like more than the typical Friday night drunk drivers trap."  
  
He forced a smile and replied, "Well son, seems one of those nutty mutant types is running around these parts and attacked a bunch of teenagers. Can't let you pass here."  
  
My interest peaked. "What happened?" I asked as innocently as I could.   
  
"Well I can't tell you too much but from what I hear it was a young one with real dark black hair and red eyes. He was flying around and they said he "attacked" a group of teenagers. That's all."  
  
"Well gee," I said almost stupidly, "I sure hope he doesn't come my way tonight. I guess I'll have to go back to Chandler's road to get around, huh?"  
  
"Sounds like a good plan son. You watch out for those crazy mutants ok? And by the way, nice bike."  
  
When he complimented my bike I almost forgot how ignorant he was, but only for a second. I turned the bike around and headed back the other direction. I couldn't decide if I actually wanted to meet Hank now or if I was going to go report in to Scott. Then suddenly my mind got made up for me.  
  
"Bobby," I heard in my head. It was Jean. "Bobby, head back to the Mansion... Oh, and Hank is on his way home too. Don't worry about him."  
  
I pulled up into the Mansion driveway some ten minutes later and found the team assembled down stairs in the War room. Everyone but Hank was there: Scott, Jean, Remy, Ororo, Rogue, Logan, Piotr, Warren and Logan. Jubilee was with some of the other younger students at the Mansion, which is good cause she's really not ready for this kind of adventure. Scott was already discussing what had happened tonight.   
  
He looked up at me when I came in. "Bobby, now is your chance to tell your story. This attack tonight, whatever it was, seems like it was the same guy."   
  
So I started with when we walked into the bank and told all the way through the end. The looks around the room as I told the story varied. Remy, as usual, seemed uninterested. He sat there and played with his cards. Storm was listening so intently I thought she might stare me to death. Wolvie picked at his teeth with one of his claws and didn't really move much more than that. Each one was soaking it up and trying to decide what they made of it.   
  
"So basically," Logan said, "we've got somebody who put Storm back together and we're concerned about if he can be trusted?"  
  
"It's more than that!" Chimed in Angel who had been sitting quietly up until this point. "He attacked a bunch of teenagers tonight."  
  
"Well then Slim, what do we know about this attack," Logan said matter-o-factly. "I'm good for a good butt-whupin' like anyone else but why are we huntin' some mutant that's friendly."  
  
"I tend to agree with the Wolverine, ami," Said Gambit who finally was paying attention. "If he is not really de threat, 'den I say we let 'im be."  
  
Scott took over. "Listen, number one, we don't know exactly what happened. That's why Jean, Piotr and Warren are going to find those teens that he "attacked" and get to the bottom of that." I could tell he was comfortable now, maybe for the first time since the funeral. He was commanding a mission again, not the entire show. "The real issue is the level of power this guy has. If he can bend time to his will then there's no telling what else he can control."   
  
Hank, the Beast, finally came in through the doors and after brief greetings from the team he got all the info he had missed.   
  
"Sorry 'bout dinner," I said.  
  
"That's quite alright friend," he replied. "I'll just have our new mutant friend roll time back once this is all over and you and I can do it then."  
  
I don't think he realized how much his comment shook me, but I decided that I was just going to ignore it and keep listening to Scott. He was really in his element when he is planning something. He had us all assigned to watches of the Mansion and the away team headed off to get ready.   
  
"Well Hank," I said. "Scott was kind enough to put us both on first shift. Want to join me for some Ramen noodles on the roof?"   
  
The two of us chuckled and headed up for our first shift.  
  
  
(Scott)  
  
I was feeling so confident. I got to put together a mission and make orders for a little while instead of being the Professor. I was where I am comfortable. It was nice.   
  
Jean walked up to me, she was already dressed in her uniform to head out for her mission. She is so beautiful in her uniform.  
  
"Thanks stud," she said as she kissed my cheek. "You look pretty good in yours too."  
  
"Be careful ok?" I said, knowing that she knew what I had to say. I was scared about using her out of the safety of the Mansion to hunt this guy but it was what I had to do as leader of the team.  
  
"Don't worry hun, I will," She said confidently. "I'll be back soon."  
  
I watched her walk out and then began to make preparations for the rest of the team. I don't even know what I was truly afraid of. I just had a gut sense that we needed to protect ourselves from this mutant. We had a lot of work to do to keep the Mansion secure from someone this powerful.   
  
I whispered to myself, "Alright Scott, quit worrying and get moving."  
  
  
(Jean)  
  
We decided to drive out to where the teens since it was so close. We ran into the same blockade that had stopped Bobby earlier so we backed up, parked by some trees and proceeded on foot to the spot in the woods the teenagers had been.  
  
We were doing a horrible job at keeping quiet. Colossus was making lots and lots of noise.   
  
"Piotr," I said in a whisper. "Can you try and be a little more careful. You are very loud."  
  
"Sorry," he said with his thick Russian accent. "I am five-hundred pounds of metal. It is very hard to be quiet, yes?"   
  
Warren had decided he didn't want to fold up his wings so he was flying low just above the tops of the trees. He looked down and pointed to an area roped off by the cops where some cars were parked.   
  
We stopped and then slowly moved up to see the place where the attack had happened. I blinded the police officers to our presence and we moved in to get a look around at the cars.   
  
Piotr looked at them closely. "This is not looking like it was an attack. There is no damage. There is no marks left by any attack."  
  
I quickly agreed with him and asked Warren to fly up and see if anything looked odd from the sky. Again, as Jubilee would say, no dice.   
  
"That's odd." The other two agreed with me.   
  
"Let's go the police station and check on the kids," Warren suggested. So the three of us climbed back into the car and headed to town.   
  
When we arrived outside the department I could tell that the place was busy. There were so many thoughts coming from there that it was deafening to try and listen to them all. I had to get closer to pick out the kids in specific.   
  
"Piotr," I gave the command telepathically. "Stay here and watch for any trouble. Warren and I are going to the roof."  
  
The Angel and I each used our personal abilities and flew over to the roof. As he watched my back I started scanning with my mind over the building looking for the kids.   
  
"Found them," I whispered. "Four of them sitting in an office. They're all thinking about tonight."  
  
I started running through each of their heads looking for the events of the night. They started coming to me in bits and pieces from different voices...  
  
"We went up there to mess around a little."  
  
"He was so sweet, taking us up to that beautiful spot in the woods."  
  
"I parked the car and started to kiss her, John and his girl started in the back seat."  
  
"What a set-up, nobody was ever going to find us up here. I love this spot."  
  
"After and while we heard this rushing sound outside like a strong wind was whipping all around. It was scary. I was so glad John was there."  
  
"So we jumped out of the car to see what was going on and some guy was floating in the air."   
  
"Something felt funny, like I was sick to my stomach for a second. Like I was getting bent or something. John and Tony were outside the car looking up."  
  
"He yelled, "Stop it!" I don't know what Tony was talking about but he whatever the dude in the sky was doing Tony wasn't happy."  
  
"Then the guy disappeared with a flash of light and everything shook."  
  
Suddenly a more clear voice came into my mind, "STOP!"   
  
I was startled. Someone down there was telepathic. I had to find out who. "I said stop." It came again. It was the kid Tony. He was telepathic.   
  
I thought back to him, "Why were you so worried about the mutant in the sky? He didn't do anything."  
  
"He was in my head and he was trying to do something weird, now stop before people realize what I am. Go away." He was desperate to get rid of me. I was so curious, I don't usually force myself mentally but I had to know what was going on.  
  
I began to probe into Tony's mind. He resisted a little but he was kind of inexperienced with his powers so I had no problem getting past his defenses. He began to become telepathic at about 14. He found he could influence people and find out what they were thinking about him. It had been such a rush to him that he began to find "fun" stuff to do. His favorite thing was to take advantage of girls.   
  
"That's why you were in the woods," I thought to him. "That girl... she hated you a week ago. You made her like you."  
  
"Hey, I don't bug you about what you do with your powers mutant," came a sharp reply. I didn't have time to argue with him about it.  
  
"What was that weird thing the guy was trying to do?" I asked without paying attention to his pleas for me to leave. He was at my mercy.   
  
"He was, well... he was watching what I was doing, through my eyes. Then he started, I dunno, changing things. He was bending the air around me. It's hard to explain the feeling. Have you ever made ripples in a pond before?"  
  
That was all I needed to hear. I told him I was done with him, for now and proceeded to head back towards the car with Warren. I told the two of them what I had learned while we drove back and as soon as I was close enough to the Mansion I intended on letting Scott know. Apparently this guy has an array of powers.   
  
Warren suddenly hit his breaks and screeched the car to a halt. I started to yell at him but before I could get the words out I knew why he had done it. The young mutant was in the air above us, just looking at us.   
  
I knew Scott was worried about me probing this guy but I just couldn't miss this opportunity. Before Piotr and Warren had a chance to respond to the stranger in the sky I reached out and tried to probe him.  
  
"Watching..." that the only word I was able to glean. Then everything went dark...  
  
(Colossus)  
  
I jumped from the back of the car, armoring up as I did. I didn't know if he was a threat but I wanted to be prepared to defend my comrades if this young mutant attacked us.   
  
I started to speak out to him but just as I formed the first word Warren called out to me from the inside of the car. I looked down into the window to find him trying to hold Jean still. She was having convulsions and holding her mouth open like she was screaming.   
  
I did not know what to do. I was not a doctor. I could not help Jean and this mutant still hovered above us, his red eyes glowing as he watched.   
  
"Is it you who is doing this thing?" I called up to him finally. "Do you hurt Jean with your mind?"   
  
He didn't reply. He just kept hovering and watching. Fed up I called out to him again and warned him that if he did not respond that I was going to attack him to help Jean. Still no response.  
  
Warren climbed out of the car and screamed up to him. "Stop this! She is in pain! Whoever you are you must stop now!"  
  
Jean continued to shake there in the car, still screaming silently. Fed up I gave the stranger one last warning. "Stop this now or I will fight you comrade."   
  
He turned his head slightly but still made no other response. So, I followed through with my threat. I leapt into the air as best I could and reached for the strangers feet. I would bring him down and make him stop.  
  
The kick landed so quickly I thought perhaps that I had been struck by Quicksilver. I felt the concrete buckle underneath me as I landed on my back. My jaw ached. Nothing had ever ached when I was armored up.   
  
I looked up to see Warren shoot a couple darts in the stranger's direction. To my amazement they never got there. They traveled in the mutants direction but once they got close they seemed to ripple and then suddenly they were feathers, falling softly to the ground. This warrior was going to be difficult to defeat.   
  
He was distracted for an instant, watching the feathers float down to the ground so I jumped again. I though fro sure I had him this time but just as I entered the space near his body I felt my armor fall away and I hit his body, flesh to flesh. This time my fall really hurt.   
  
By the time I shook off the pain running through my body and looked up Warren was in the air with him, grappling. I have no idea still how he got that close to the fellow but he did and they were fighting hand to hand. I tried to armor up again but nothing happened.   
  
Disturbed I looked up at the two fighters grappling in the air. The stranger had almost a peaceful look in his eye while Warren struggled to stay in the air. Then the stranger did something new, he smiled. He began to glow and then with a flash he and Angel disappeared.   
  
I ran to below where they had been to try and find the duo but they were not there. I did find there a crying baby. Once again confused I bent over to pick up the child but before my hands could get around it, it began to change. It was... it was aging there in front of me. It looked about 8 months, then 12, then two years. It was a he and there was blonde hair on his head and now instead of crying, the child was screaming in pain. He kept aging there on the ground writhing about like it was in the worst pain of his life, like he was on fire. It was close to about four years old now, screaming all the while... 8 years... 12 years...   
  
"Mother Russia... it's Warren," I said to myself. It was true, he looked twelve at this point but the features were unmistakably those of Warren Worthington III.   
  
Suddenly wings sprouted from his back and began to grow to full size. The screaming was deafening now, so much pain. He lay there in pain, going through puberty, getting muscular and taller. His wings got to be more developed as well.   
  
Then something that truly shocked me happened. Warren's wings fell off and disappeared. He rolled over and looked me right in the eyes, still in horrible pain. Then, his skin turned blue. He looked like he had when Apocalypse had used him as Archangel. Sure enough the mechanical wings sprouted and Warren kicked about in more pain than ever.   
  
"This cannot be happening," I thought to myself.  
  
I called out to him. "Warren! Relax my friend. You will be ok." Of course I did not know that and I did not even know if he heard me, but I knew that it was the right thing to say.   
  
Just then the mechanical wings fell off and the original ones began to grow again as the blue skin faded. He was beginning to look like himself again. I only hoped that the aging, and the pain would stop when he got back to himself.  
  
My hopes were right. As soon as Warren was back to his old self he lay there still. No screaming, no aging, just still. I tested his pulse. He was alive.   
  
"Good, my friend. We will get you back to the Mansion."   
  
I remember Jean in the car. She too was unconscious and no longer in pain. I stuck Warren in the back seat and got into the car to drive. Scott would not be happy.  
  
"We will get you both home soon comrades," I said. "The profess... I mean, Scott will know what to do."  
  
  
  
  
Ok, what do you guys think? Please review this for me! More is coming soon, I promise!   



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